Moving sign



J. AISENBERG.

MOVING SIGN.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 10, ms.

Patented Aug. 16, 1921.

3 $HEETSSHEET ln"an,".vn'unuunun J. AISENBERG.

MOVING SIGN.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 10. 1919.

Patented Aug. 16, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Qwvewtoz M MT 44013 5 sa /A4 mm J. AISENBERG.

MOVING SIGN.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 10, 1919.

1 $387,635. Patented Aug. 16, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

, INVENTOR ATTORNEYS PATENT OFFIQE'.

JACOB AISIE'ZN'BERG, OF CORONA, NEW YORK.

MOVING SIGN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 16, 1921.

Application filed September 10, 1919. Serial No. 322,838.

an Improvement in Moving Signs, of which 7 the following is a specification.

This invention relates to exhibiting apparatus.

Further it relates to advertising devices of the moving type.

Further it relates to the so-called moving si 'ns.

More particularly it relates to the method and apparatus of providing advertisements which attract the eye of the observer.

The drawings attached hereto are of a selected preferred embodiment of the invention wherein,

Figure 1 is a ing device, ig. 2 is a view of the device partly broken away and partly in section,

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the devlce, Fig. 4 is a section in part taken on the lines 44 of Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is a detailed view of the supporting means,

Fig. 6 is an elevation view of means for attaching individual characters to one another,

Fig. 7 is a section of Fig. 6.

general view of the exhibit- One of the general principles in suc-' cessful advertising is to exhibit some object or some statement which will catch the eye of the casual observer and will cause him to further investigate. In producing apparatus which may be used for exhibiting purposes, it is highly essential to produce an apparatus which is small and compact and may, therefore, be used in show windows as one of the many places in which such an apparatus may be placed.-

This invention is directed to an exhibiting apparatus and the selected embodiment of such an apparatus as hereinafter described is of the type which presents moving words, phrases or illustrations. This preferred embodiment permits of expansion and may be manufactured to furnish any particular size of characters, letters, figures or illustrations and to permit the use of phrases and clauses of difi'erent lengths and of varied savings.

Referring to the drawings, in Fig. 1 the face of a container 1 is shown as having an opening 2 wherein individual character groups may pass from one end of the opening to the other. In this figure, it is noted that the characters exhibited are individually formed and are attached to one another and are combined to spell the word Advertise. Any words, figures or illustrations may be grouped together to form any particular phrase, saying or illustration. Blank portions are employed to form spaces between any two groups of characters, as shown by the blank strips at each end of the word Advertise.

The individual characters 3 in this embodimentof the device are partially transparent so that illuminating means placed in the rear of a row of characterswill make them more easily read. These characters are made of a flexible material which is transparent; linen has been successfully employed for this purpose; however, any other suitable material may be used. Characters, figures or illustrations may be formed on this material by rendering parts of it opaque. Two or more colors may be employed to set out the characters. If desired a light may be thrown on the front of the container 1 to light the characters as they pass before the opening 2. The illumination is here shown as being in the rear of the characters and is designated as electric bulbs 5, having the electric connections 6, and there may be as many of these bulbs as desired; however, any form of illumination may be employed. Partition 7 having its inner surface a reflecting surface is used to assist in illuminating the characters as they pass the opening. Individual characters may be grouped together and are supported and carried by means of tapes 8 and 9 which run on rollers 10. One or more of these rollers may act as driving rollers and in this case the rollers 11 and 12 are the driving rollers operated by an electric motor 13 through reduction gears 14, if such gears are required. The driving means is not restricted to an electric motor and any other means may be adopted. The motor may be on the same circuit as the electric illuminating lamps or may be on a separate circuit so that the illuminating means may be flashed on and off.

Referring to Fig. 3, a circuitous route for the characters is shown as being around the pulleys 11, 12, etc., and the path of the tapes around the-rollers 16, 17 and 18. The route around rollers 15, 16, 17 and 18 allows an interrupted path for the characters around three sides of the container and if desired these may be exhibiting sides, any desired illuminating means for the additional sides ma be emplo ed.. 1i. y

e number of rollers may be increased and the width of the container may be increased so-that various length phrases and sayings may be included. The flexible tapes which moves backward guided by slots 22.

The spring 23' having one end attached to the container 1 and the other end attached to frame 21, tendsto 'pull the roller toward the container and in this Way the tapes are maintained taut.

The characters 3which are exhibited and which are grouped together to form various words,phrases or sayings, may have one or more characters thereon. l'nthis case there is illustrated one character but it is to be understood that the use of one or more charactersv is within the scope of this invention. Certain of thesefiexible members are totally opaque so that the illuminant does not show between groups of characters. In order to keep the transparent material from being folded and thereby obliterating the characters thereon, supporting members 24 are placed on the edges of the material and extend beyond the edge to form holding portions to contact with vtapes 8 and 9. 'The' method of attachment is immaterial but it has been found that placing the material on a supporting member of metal and then turning the metal over on itself has been very successful. By this method a double end of the metal is formedso that it will slip over either side of the tapes 8 and 9 and will hold the character firmly in position on the tapes; Other means for maintaining the holding portions in contact with the tapes will be apparent to those skilled in the art. the metal edges for attaching the next successive character by forming openings 25 and having the hooks 26 inserted and squeezed in position as shown at 27 in Fig. 7 For purposes of uniformity, one edge of a character carries the hooks held firmly in the holes 25 while the other edge simply has the holes to receive the free ends of the hooks. This means of attaching one figure.

Means are provided in of the supports ma have edges with .proj e'ctions thereon as s own at 28. These projections are adapted to enter the tapes 8 and 9 to prevent any great relative movement therebetween. As a matter of convenience, the blanks 4 generallyhave one of their supports with these projections.

Any general form of roller may be employed to .receive the tapes and the ends of the supports of the charactersso long as the tapes are not permitted to move too great a distance apart and so long as the hooks are not squeezed in pamin around-the rollers. For purposes of descri ing and illustrating one form of roller and its various component parts reference is made to Fig. 4 wherein a shaft 28 is shown carrying collars 29 and 30 which have flaring portions 31. The tapes are prevented from moving too far apart by means of these flaring portions, and the hooks joining one character to another do not contact with any part of the roller while the supports are contacting with the collars. The rollers may be made of wood and in turning them from the sticks there should be portions of large diameters to correspond to the flares 31 and there should be portions of small diameters to allow the hooks to pass around the rollers without being squeezed. When the distance between edges of the metal supports to move therein' and be supported so that the characters will not sag when moving between rollers. Such supports may be used throughout the machine where desired.

The apparatus herein described and illus trated being one embodiment ofthe invention, permits advertising by means of words, phrases, sayings and illustrations. It is possible with this device to change thecharacters or parts thereof without its becoming necessary to form an entirely new word reel. Since the characters are made of the flexible material or formed on flexible material, this device has been made of much smaller. dimensions, and, therefore, much more desirable as the size of the apparatus is not the noticeable feature; the words, phrases, and characters employed then become the noticed features.

The container ma be of such form that it may be disassemb ed and only the frame for supporting rollers, etc., will remain. The container however, as a unit or sections thereof, may haveopenings for ventilating purposes or for other openings may be guar'ed so that foreign material and the weather elements do not enter-it."

The apparatusherein described shows the letters or groups of letters moving from left to right and in ahorizontal opening, it is to be understood that letters may follow each urposes, and these other and be exhibited in openings other than horizontal.

It is to be understood that certain designs have been included and described but that there may be modifications of the same and such modifications are considered as being within the scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. In an exhibiting apparatus, the combination of transparent flexible members having characters formed thereon, said members adapted to have relative movement with the frame of said apparatus, and supporting means for said members attached to the edge thereof and exceeding the length of the edge to which attached for holding purposes.

2. In an exhibiting apparatus, the combination of a container having an opening therein, flexible strips having characters thereon passing near said opening, metal edges on the longest sides of each of said strips and extending beyond said strips, one of said metal edges having the extending parts provided with projections, flexible means for receiving and guiding said metal edges, and means for attaching one flexible strip to another.

3. In an exhibiting apparatus, the combination of a container having an opening therein, flexible characters passing near said opening, metal support engaging and extending beyond the edge of said flexible character, said extending portion provided with projections, and flexible tapes moving within said apparatus and having engagement with said metal support.

1. In an exhibiting apparatus, the combination of a container having an opening therein, flexible characters for passing near said opening, flexible tapes moving in a circuitous route for carrying said characters and rollers for supporting and guiding said tapes, a slidable frame for holding one of said rollers, said frame slidable in said container, and a resilient member connected to the outer frame of said container and to said slidable frame for maintaining said frame near the outer edge of said container to keep said flexible tapes taut.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification this 8th day of September, 1919.

JACOB AISENBERG. 

